Forty Years of Clinton's Parade, and Annandale's First Tree Lighting the Night After
October 22, 2026
October 22, 2026
On Friday, December 4, the Guild of Clinton runs its 40th annual Christmas Parade through downtown Clinton from 7 to 9 p.m. The next evening, Clinton Township holds what its own announcement calls its "First Annual Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting" at the Police Department, 1370 Route 31 North, in Annandale. The two events are a day apart and a few miles apart, and different organizers run them. That weekend marks a shift. Annandale's holiday season has long been something you drove into downtown Clinton for, and now the township has a holiday event of its own.
Until this year, every major event on the season's calendar was run by a downtown organization. The Guild of Clinton runs Dickens' Days, the Main Street tree lighting and the parade. The Red Mill Museum Village runs Festival of Trees and Winter Village on its grounds at 56 Main Street.
The parade alone has 40 years behind it. The township's lighting has none. Its announcement says that "for the very first time, our community comes together to light the Christmas tree and menorah," and it invites both longtime residents and people "new to the neighborhood."
The township's event page lists a short, family-focused program on Saturday, December 5, from 6 to 8 p.m.:
The page asks attendees to register in advance. The township lists Clinton Township, NJ as the organizer.
The location says something too. The lighting is at the police building on Route 31, not on a village green or Main Street. Where the township holds its holiday gathering is still being worked out, and this year it's on township property.
The downtown season starts the day after Thanksgiving. The Guild lists Dickens' Days from Friday, November 27, at noon through Sunday, November 29, at 4 p.m. The 2024 edition ran from noon to 4 p.m. each day. The Christmas Tree Lighting is Friday, November 27, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
So far the Guild's 2026 listing for Dickens' Days gives the dates and hours and nothing else. Earlier years give a sense of what to expect. In its recap of the 2025 weekend, TAPinto North Hunterdon described costumed characters, live entertainment, children's activities and pop-ups alongside the town's shops and restaurants. The Hunterdon Review's coverage of the 2024 event listed horse-and-carriage rides, caroling, storytelling, Father Christmas, daily holiday performances and Santa's Workshop on the Hunterdon Art Museum terrace. Those were past programs. The 2026 lineup will be whatever the Guild posts.
The Red Mill opens two events that same Friday. The 17th annual Festival of Trees fills the museum's historic buildings and grounds with trees decorated by individuals, families, organizations and clubs. Santa is there every day the festival is open, and there are live historic demonstrations on Saturdays and Sundays. Winter Village, run with Marketspace Vendor Events, adds a heated outdoor market with more than 50 local craft artisans, food trucks, craft beer and mulled wine. Well-behaved dogs are welcome. Admission is $10 for adults and free for children 12 and under. Current museum members get into the Festival of Trees free.
The parade and the township lighting aren't the only events that weekend. Winter Village runs only five days in 2026, November 27 to 29 and December 5 and 6, so its second weekend opens the morning after the parade. That puts the season's busiest stretch between Friday evening, December 4, and Saturday night, December 5.
| When | What | Who runs it | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Dec. 4, 7–9 p.m. | 40th Annual Christmas Parade | Guild of Clinton | Downtown Clinton |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. | Festival of Trees and Winter Village | Red Mill Museum Village with Marketspace Vendor Events | 56 Main Street, Clinton |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 6–8 p.m. | First Annual Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting | Clinton Township | Police Department, 1370 Route 31 North, Annandale |
| Sun., Dec. 6, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. | Festival of Trees and Winter Village | Red Mill Museum Village with Marketspace Vendor Events | 56 Main Street, Clinton |
The township's lighting starts at 6 p.m., the same time the Red Mill closes for the day. A family can spend Saturday afternoon at the Winter Village booths and then drive up Route 31 for the lighting without the two overlapping. Whether or not that was planned, the schedule works for Annandale households.
The parade's website confirms the date and that this is the 40th year. Check it in the days before December 4 for the route, staging area and parking.
Two of the downtown spots that can fill the gaps between events opened in 2026.
Clinton Creamery at 1 Main Street held its ribbon-cutting on March 27, 2026. Owners Marisa and Vinny Casendino serve ice cream, vegan options, shakes and sundaes, according to TAPinto's opening-day coverage. This will be its first holiday season on Main Street.
Village Mediterranean Grill at 12 Lower Center Street celebrated its opening with a ribbon-cutting on August 28, 2026. The space was formerly Grounded for Life and was rebranded early this year, as TAPinto reported. Chef and owner Jamal Sahler also runs a location in Raritan Township at 8 Reading Road, near Route 202. Lower Center Street is a short walk off Main, so it's a reasonable stop before the parade.
After December 6, the downtown calendar slows down, and the Red Mill keeps going. The Festival of Trees stays open on December 12 and 13 and again on December 19 and 20, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
New this year is Luminary Night, Saturday, December 12, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., with a rain date of December 19. The museum is staying open later that evening so visitors can walk among hundreds of luminaries on the historic grounds. Courtyard Luxury Senior Living is providing cookies, cocoa and coffee. Like the township's lighting, it's an evening event that didn't exist last year.
Every event above comes from the organizers' own calendars, which can change. Check the Guild of Clinton, Red Mill Museum Village and Clinton Township pages before you head out, especially for the parade and the township lighting.
If you're new to Annandale and trying to figure out the township's calendar, or if this first lighting has you thinking about staying close to town for more holiday seasons, Gerri Perez Homes is happy to talk through what Clinton Township is like through the year. Schedule your free, no‑obligation consultation with Gerri.
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